Anomie: The Tale of Voldo and Vercci
by Xanthos Samurai
Summary: My take on how Voldo met his master Vercci in a tale of horror, loyalty, blood, greed and sacrifice. Warnings for Yaoi (slash), adult themes, violence, strong language and hints of sadism & masochism. Read at your own risk.
1. The Bloody Alley

**Anomie: The Tale of Voldo and Vercci**

Author: Xanthos Samurai

Rating: R

Warnings: Yaoi/slash, whatever you want to call it – this fic features two men in a homosexual relationship. Also, violence, cannibalism, coarse language and hints of sadism/masochism. Read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: Voldo belongs to Vercci and Vercci belongs to Namco, so I don't own any of them. TT

Feedback: Please!

Notes: Voldo has always struck me as fascinating and vastly underappreciated... And I've always been curious to know what sort of man would Vercci have to be to merit that sort of dedication and loyalty from Voldo. I have taken a few rather extreme liberties in making up Voldo's past and personality (which is sort of required since he doesn't really have one in the game anyways). In any case, you have been warned...

Strange happenings always occur on the darkest of nights, especially within this world. On this particular dark night, two men would meet for the first time and subsequently irrevocably alter the course of the lives of many other men. One was a Midas, the other a freak, but both were similar in that they had long since given in to the darkness in their souls.

On a filthy street corner in a back alley crouched a man not of men, an animal not of beasts. A pariah since he had been brought into the world, he had made a life for himself scratching in gutters and drinking the blood of creatures even more lowly than himself. The environment that should have killed any other man had allowed him to thrive, like a parasite or fungus, in the worst possible situations. In his own fetid lair he now lurked, waiting for a stray animal of any sort to come along to serve as his evening meal. Sounds of booted steps and of conversation approached his lair and Voldo's sharp ears. Strange. Very strange. He could tell that that the men approaching were of upper class, men who had no business in the slums of the city.

"I don't see why we had to carry out this deal here of all places, Vercci." The voice was hissing and nervous. Voldo raised himself into a half-crouch, ready to attack if they ventured too near his nest. But they stopped at the corner before.

"You don't see much of anything." This voice was low and confident, even bordering on arrogant. "And, my dear Rizzi, this is the _only_ place to carry out business such as ours without too many people growing suspicious."

"What do you mean? There are people everywhere in this scum hole!"

A dog's low growl made Rizzi reconsider how much he raised his voice. Vercci's huge wolfhound accompanied him wherever he went, a char-black shadow in his master's wake. There were tales of men who had offended Vercci and lived the rest of their lives claiming to be stalked by a black hound. Many of these men were mysteriously murdered thereafter.

"Down, Roman. Our friend Rizzi has not done anything yet, including give us what he came here to give." Vercci's dark brown, nearly black eyes glinted as they looked with marble hardness at Rizzi. The smaller man gulped.

"Y-yes, how could I have forgotten? But first, where's my payment?"

Voldo didn't even have to sniff the air to smell the stinking waves of fear rolling off the man's body. With a low, nearly inaudible hiss, he rose from his lair and crept soundlessly to the corner, still out of sight, but able to get a better sense of the men.

"You'll get your payment as soon as I get what I want."

Rizzi reached into his coat pocket and drew out a small parcel wrapped in plain, coarse brown cloth.

"Here. Now give me my money."

Vercci pocketed the parcel and smiled once before sweeping his dark hair back from his face.

"Roman, kill him."

The smaller man blanched. "But wait! I got you the item you requested! We had a deal!"

"And I'm going back on it. Goodbye, Rizzi."

Roman crouched, saliva dripping from his jaws. Rizzi backed away in fear as his eyes darted from side to side, seeing if there was any way to escape. Vercci watched with a smile upon his lips, amused by the man's terror. The smile turned into a frown as a murky shape rose up from the shadows behind Rizzi. A filthy hand clapped over the doomed man's mouth and yanked him back into darkness. Vercci's eyes narrowed slightly as there were sounds of a short scuffle, a crack and then silence.

"What in the Gods' names? Stay." The wolfhound sat, although he glared into the darkness at whatever had taken Rizzi. Vercci eyed the darkness, unafraid of what was in there, making such wet, sticky noises in the shadows. He strode in, determined to find out who or what was lurking there.

The man, Rizzi, didn't taste as good as Voldo had hoped that he perhaps might. He had supposed that human flesh would taste better than the flesh of the vermin that he had been dining on, but it appeared that this man was no better than a vermin himself. Oh well. In any case, it was a good deal more meat than he was used to, so he would be able to eat his fill, no matter how bad the man tasted. Footsteps approached and then Voldo remembered of the other man, the one with the dog. Perhaps he was coming. Perhaps he'd taste better.

"You've deprived my dog of a meal," said the man's emotionless voice. Voldo tore a strip of skin off the corpse's arm with his teeth, then turned to hiss up at the intruder, who was standing at the edge of the nest, looking down upon him. Killing too many at once would lead to problems. Maybe this one would leave on his own.

Vercci looked down upon the gruesome spectacle in the same manner that his ancestors had watched the gladiatorial combatants in the great games of ancient Rome. It pleased him almost, the filthy little lair made of cast aside wood and the next made of rags and the skins of pestilence. But what pleased him most was the man himself – a tall, gaunt man with long emaciated limbs clothed in little but rags stained brown from dried blood. A tangle of stringy hair obscured his face, but Vercci could see sharp features made sharper by slim meals and covered in a thick layer of grime.

"However, it does appear that you did not waste the kill. I applaud you. What is your name?" Asked Vercci.

Voldo wiped the gore from his mouth and eyed the man standing over him. A human had not tried to speak to him in years and he didn't understand what this one wanted now. But again, he didn't see any harm in answering – if the human threatened him, he could merely dispose of him like he had done the other.

"Voldo."

"I see. And how long have you lived this way, Voldo?"

There was no reply from the cannibal. He had no idea how long he had been like this, nor did he care to tell the human even if he did know. Vercci smiled. For some reason, this beast-man named Voldo intrigued him, enough so that he wished to examine this strange specimen more closely.

"I want you to come with me, Voldo. I'll give you a bath, proper meals, proper clothing and a place to stay. In return, you'll serve me as my personal servant. How does that sound?"

What was the human saying? Did it know what it was offering? Was it serious? Voldo peered at the human with his head tilted to the side, much like the dogs he lived with, although his eyes were narrowed with suspicion. If the human was serious, he had nothing to lose. If the human had some darker, more sinister purpose, then he could easily escape. He eyed the man and stood, casting aside Rizzi's corpse.

"I come."

Vercci smirked. Yes, this was going to be quite interesting indeed.

To Be Continued...

Notes: Well, that's it, but it's only the beginning! What does Vercci have in mind for Voldo? We're not quite sure yet... he's quite devious. ;; This is also quite a short first chapter... hopefully, they'll be much longer in the future.


	2. Wariness & Discoveries

**Anomie: The Tale of Voldo and Vercci**

Author: Xanthos Samurai

Rating: R

Warnings: Yaoi/slash, whatever you want to call it – this fic features two men in a homosexual relationship. Also, violence, cannibalism, coarse language and hints of sadism/masochism. Read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: Voldo belongs to Vercci and Vercci belongs to Namco, so I don't own any of them. weep

Feedback: Please!

Thank You: Bubonic Apple (I totally agree with you that Voldo is underappreciated and disrespected. I'm hoping to change that at least a little bit with this fic! Thanks for reading!), lord stevey (It makes me feel good to hear that someone thinks that I'm getting Vercci right. I read all the canon information that I could find on him and Voldo and even then there wasn't much, so I just had to go with my instinct. Please keep reading – hopefully it'll only get better!), kaoru3 (Lemons, eh? You'll just have to keep reading and find out but there may be some citrus in the future…), Daryl-chan (Yes, a craving for odd pairings must be something we have in common. There should be more Voldo fanfiction, but it does make me feel special being one of the few and proud Voldo authors.), Bree (Oh good! Someone else who thinks that Vercci is coming across nicely. I had hoped that he would have an ominous air about him. And I'm afraid that you'll just have to get used to the cliffhangers… I happen to love them.)

Notes: Many apologies for this chapter coming so long after the first one. I had intended to update much sooner, but the college admissions process is determined to destroy me, so I haven't had much time to devote to the antics of my favorite creepy crawler and his beloved Master Vercci. Hopefully this chapter will make up for it. grin

If Voldo had had misgivings about following Vercci, they weren't allayed any by the sight of the mansion looming over the horizon. Dusk had already fallen and lamps had been lit in the windows, indenting to give a welcoming appearance. To Voldo, they looked like the glassy eyes of a dead corpse. He didn't like this situation. He no longer wanted to follow the human and especially not into the human's own den where he would be at a severe disadvantage if violence became necessary. Vercci was walking a pace or two in front of him, the huge dog a pace behind. Voldo knew that he could escape from them, but this was not the time to do it. Wait.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Voldo." Vercci did not turn to face Voldo, but his calm, confident voice carried through the warm summer air clearly. "I wish only to help you."

The feral man growled in his throat. Humans lie. This one was lying as well. Behind him, the huge dog growled back at him – a warning to show proper respect to the master.

"Roman, Voldo is our guest. You do not growl at guests – you treat them with respect." Now Vercci turned to face them, tossing his dark brown hair back. Voldo stopped so that he was a few feet away from him and stood eying Vercci mistrustfully. Roman remained standing, his eyes trained on Voldo. Vercci gave Voldo a smile, a smile that verged on a predator's smirk. "We will treat our new friend Voldo with respect and he will treat us respectfully in return, yes?"

Why was the human baring its teeth? Was it preparing to fight? Voldo narrowed his eyes, watching Vercci critically. No, that was not a fighting stance. Then he remembered that pulling back the lips and displaying the teeth was not a sign of aggression among humans. Then what was it? He couldn't decide and the human was waiting for him to say something. Finally he spoke,

"You attack in house." His speech was rough and broken, but Vercci understood his meaning.

"I assure you, nothing will inflict any injury upon you so long as you are within my home. I intend only to perform actions to benefit you, my derelict friend." The merchant replied. Voldo continued to look at him suspiciously. Vercci then realized that it was entirely likely that the cannibal did not understand his elaborate speech. He would have to speak in a manner that Voldo would comprehend.

"Nothing will attack you. I want to help you."

Voldo was still not convinced. "How?"

"Give you a bath and some food first. We'll see what else needs to be tended to after that." Vercci turned and approached the gates that barred the way to his magnificent home. A porter scurried out of the dimness like a rat and quickly unlocked the gate for his master. Voldo stood still, deliberating. This was the time to get away if he intended to get away, but the allure of food and a hot bath was strong. And humans lie, but this human was different from other humans. He smiled like a beast. Voldo decided that he would go with the human. He wouldn't trust him, but he was curious to see why the human wished to help him. He followed Vercci through the gate and pushed aside the twinge his nerves as the gate shut with a creak and a clang behind them. No turning back now.

"Master Vercci… Are you bringing in this… this thing?" The porter was eying Voldo as if the tall, lanky man were some sort of vile, dangerous insect. Voldo did not understand all of the man's words, but he recognized the scornful, disgusted tone. He growled, lifting a thin lip in the manner of the gutter mongrels he lived with.

"Aldo, do you not see that this man is my exalted guest?" Vercci's voice was calm and smooth, but there was a fair amount of acid running along the bottom of it. "His name is Voldo and you shall probably be seeing quite a bit of him from now on. Go inside and order a hot bath drawn up. And extra soap."

Aldo stiffened for a moment and then bowed. He did _not_ want to incur Master Vercci's wrath.

"Right away, master."

They watched as the man scurried inside. Voldo thought that he might like to eat him one of these days and see if he tasted so much like the rats that he resembled. He made a snort of disgust in his throat and was surprised when Vercci began to laugh.

"I could not have expressed it better. Come with me, Voldo."

Vercci began to walk confidently towards the mansion, clearly expecting Voldo to follow him. Since he didn't have any other choice and had passed the point of no return, Voldo did so. Roman trotted behind them both. The wolfhound was still wary of his master's new find but was noticeably more at ease now that he was in his own familiar ground. Voldo did not mind the dog's presence in the slightest—he could understand loyalty of that caliber.

They reached a small replica of a Roman style bath—a small pool sunk within the marble-tiled floor and filled with hot water than had been piped in from the outside. The room itself was decorated with beautiful tile mosaics of ancient Roman hunting scenes lined the walls and drew the eye with their masterful craftsmanship.

"Remove your clothing and get in the water and clean yourself. We shall soon see what sort of beast is beneath all that grime," Vercci gestured to the water. Voldo slunk over to it and eyed the liquid in not so much of a suspicious way as just cautious. It looked and smelled like regular water, although he hadn't seen water this pure or clean in many a year.

He slid the rags off of his gaunt body and crouched naked at the edge of the pool. He felt Vercci's eyes on him, but didn't care. Animals have no sense of modesty. The water was hot, but not scalding as it closed around his body. It was about the same temperature as blood, but not nearly as thick. With interest, Voldo noted the chunks of filth that floated off his body and dirtied the water around him. This was the first he had bathed in a year, if not several years.

"Scrub or else you'll never be clean," Vercci walked over bearing a clean white cloth. "Use this and remove the grime from yourself."

Voldo looked blankly at the cloth. What did the human wish him to do with this? Vercci finally let out a sound of annoyance.

"You obviously do not understand. Come here," Vercci began to use the cloth to wipe off as much of the fetid grime from Voldo's back as he could without getting himself dirty or wet.

The beast stood absolutely still, his entire body stiff as Vercci cleaned him off. Contact. After so many years it was not a welcome sensation, but the harsh rubbing was tolerable. Voldo was silent as he endured the unfamiliar touch.

_This is truly a fascinating creatures I've found_, mused Vercci as he inspected Voldo's newly-clean back. The skin was smooth and abnormally pale. _Could it be because he is active mainly at night? No… this is unnaturally pale_.

"Were you born this way, Voldo?"

Voldo looked at him blankly and Vercci frowned,

"_Bianco come un fantasma_," he murmured. "Turn and look at me."

Voldo did so, although he wondered why the human wanted to see his face. Vercci's slim black brows raised in wonder with what he beheld.

The beasts' eyes were an alarming shade of maroon, almost hidden by a tangle of pale, wet hair. They were slightly slanted and seemed to reflect light, like a cat's do in the dark. They were the eyes of a predator—the eyes of death.

"By Pluto's gold…" Vercci's own blade-sharp black eyes were glinting with curiosity and a strange gleaming desire to possess. They were like rubies. Priceless rubies set within a sculpture of purest alabaster. Voldo was not just a beast or just a man… he was perfection. A work of art that defied even the skill of God.

"I want you," Vercci hissed through a throat constricted by desire. He wanted to bend this man to his will. He wanted Voldo to be his.

Voldo pulled away, eying the human. He hadn't understood the words, but he had not like the tone in which the human had spoken them. He could not trust the human, he told himself again.

Vercci was not normally a patient man, but to gain the trust of such a creature, he was willing to expend the time and effort that it would take to eventually claim Voldo as his own possession.

_All in due time, Vercci. Be patient and soon you will be rewarded_.

White as a ghost

To Be Continued…

Notes: Wah, this chapter wasn't as long as I wanted it to be either. I did take off some at the end, but that's going in the next chapter because I promised to get this out tonight and I'm getting tired, so unfortunately, the writing suffers. I hope you like this continuation!! And yes, Voldo is albino. It seems to me to fit his character, plus it gives great imagery. ;; Hopefully some of you will agree with me. I hope to get more up and soon!!


	3. Vercci's New Pet

**Anomie: The Tale of Voldo and Vercci**

Author: Xanthos Samurai

Rating: R

Warnings: Yaoi/slash, whatever you want to call it – this fic features two men in a homosexual relationship. Also, violence, cannibalism, coarse language and hints of sadism/masochism. Read at your own risk.

Disclaimer: Voldo belongs to Vercci and Vercci belongs to Namco, so I don't own any of them. :weep:

Feedback: Please!

Thanks to: aNGeLz3x ( As long as I can change at least one person's perspective of Voldo, then my mission has been accomplished! All the stuff that's in the summary will eventually happen, I just gotta get around to it. Thanks for reading and please continue to do so!), Bubonic Apple (Your comments always make me laugh. I was heavily debating whether or not to make Voldo talk – I was worried that it would be too out of character for him, but then I figured that it was the Money Pit that made him lose his sanity, so he could probably talk before he was left in it. Hooray for cultists! But I'm afraid that I can't marry you. Mah gf would get pissed. But continue to make sacrifices:wink:), Daryl-chan (If Vercci's beginning to freak you out, then he has EXACTLY the effect I wanted. He's not a good person. He's evil evil evil evil and naaaaaaaaastay. XD Freakier than in-game Voldo? That's quite an accomplishment. Be sure to keep reading 'cause it only gets better!), dragonknight (That was my state of mind when I started to write this fic: Why WOULD someone like Voldo serve another man so loyally? This is only my version of why – I'm sure that other people may disagree. I'm glad you like it though!), NightmareFX (YES! Another convert! Voldo rocks. I'm glad it's fun to read! And no fear, I have no intention of stopping this any time soon! Voldo and Vercci are too much fun!), eitak renmus (I hate slash fics where the characters just jump into bed with one another. Most real people don't work that way, and since I try to keep my fanfiction as realistic as possible, there is always a big buildup before anything happens, especially with these two. The bonds between them take a long time to form, yanno? Thanks for thinking it's fantastic and be sure to keep reading!)

Notes: Last chapter got such a great response that I feel very inspired to continue this! Many, many apologies for the long delay between chapters – high school is a bitch. But the year is winding down, so I hope to update much more frequently. In this chapter, things get a little more intense between Voldo and Vercci as we see more of Vercci's motives unfold…

The sensation of being clean once again was a strange but not unwelcome one for Voldo. He had not cared anything for being sanitary while living as an animal, but the bath had clearly done him good. The stinking grime was gone from his skin and the grease and itching dirt had been washed from his hair. He wondered, however, why the human had been so interested in his eyes. Was he intending to eat them? No. He was not enough of a beast for that.

"Here, Voldo. Put these on. God knows that it would be futile to civilize you, but I'm required by society's standards to have you properly clothed at the very least," Vercci approached Voldo with a neatly stacked set of clothes in scarlet and dark blue. Voldo peered at them briefly and sniffed at them once or twice. He could not remember the last time that he had received a new set of… clothes? Yes, that was what they were called. He had picked that word out of Vercci's long, complicated sentence. Voldo pulled on the clothes and felt the rich fabrics under his rough, spidery fingers. They snagged on his calluses and he made a distasteful noise. Foolish humans and their foolish garments.

"You look very nice my friend," mused Vercci as his dark eyes roved over Voldo's newly clean appearance. The rich dark red and royal blues of his estate's uniform suited Voldo exceptionally well; the dramatic colors stood out boldly against his ghostlike pallor and wraith's body. With merely a bath and garments, the beast was turned from gangly filth to an imposing spidery menace.

Voldo grunted. The human's voice was like the drone of a hummingbird—full of sugar and honey, but annoying. He shook his head like a dog does when it has something buzzing around its ear. The clothes were an improvement and being clean was a nice change, but he was primarily concerned with the most important need of the body and the other thing that Vercci had promised.

"Food." He turned his scarlet eyes to Vercci. The man in the alley had not been satisfying and the body was demanding nourishment again. Vercci looked at him for a moment and nodded.

"Yes, I did promise you a meal. Come with me and we shall dine in my private chambers." Vercci pulled a velvet cord that summoned a servant to the baths. Within moments, a young girl entered.

"You rang, Master Vercci?" She asked respectfully. Her eyes caught sight of Vercci's strange companion and she flinched visibly, taking an involuntary step back with a short gasp. Voldo watched her emotionlessly. Fear. Revulsion. Hate. Loathing. All of these were the air he breathed, the meat he fed upon. He did not care what humans thought and felt no obligation not to frighten a small human female.

"Isabella, you are disrespecting my guest," Vercci fairly growled. "Apologize to him, for he is my newest servant and will be second only to me in this household. His name is Voldo."

"I… I am very sorry, Master Voldo." The girl bowed low so that her long black plait nearly brushed the ground.

Voldo just looked blankly at the girl. He recognized a display of submission, but he had no use for the formality which the gesture also implied. It was still just a human and he would kill any one of them without a second thought, or even without a first if they proved to become a hindrance.

"Good. Isabella, go to the kitchens and tell them to prepare a meal and have it brought to my quarters. I desire some fruit, bread and wine, but for Master Voldo, bring…" Vercci paused and studied Voldo with his dark calculating eyes. "Bring me the choicest cuts of meat that the chef has in his possession. I want them raw."

"R-raw?" Isabella glanced over at Voldo fearfully.

Vercci caught her eye with a glare,

"Yes, Isabella. I want it raw. Now go."

The girl curtseyed quickly and fairly ran out of the room. Voldo's crimson eyes followed her movements. She moved slowly on her short legs. Easy prey for later.

"Voldo, you are not to consume any of the hired help," Vercci told him lazily. "They may deserve it, but I would never get anyone else to work here if word got out that my new pet was the cause for the new openings."

Pet. _Pet_. Voldo's body tensed at the word. He knew that word. The humans called their dogs and pigeons _pets_. They called pathetic, bloated sacks of furry flesh _pets_. He was an animal, but he was no _pet._ A low, guttural growl started in his throat and rumbled out between his pointed teeth as he shifted his stance to turn and look at Vercci. Red eyes glinted with the primal fury that the word had unleashed.

Vercci looked at him out of the corner of one eye.

"Cease that at once, Voldo."

But Voldo didn't stop. He sank into a feral crouch, his spidery fingertips supporting his weight on the stone floor bent as taut as an archer's bow. Those fingers held death and Vercci knew it all too well. The merchant's lip curled as he stood up slowly, reaching behind him on the table. His smooth hands found a heavy silver strigil. This had to end. Right now.

The albino leapt with a chilling snarl, his body bunching and then stretching in a terrifying white arc. Vercci moved to one side just in time and brought the handle down in a swift and savage stroke. The hilt of the strigil crashed upon the slavering man's skull and Voldo slumped to the tiled floor.

When Voldo again woke, it was to the sound of the edge of a slick knife sliding across a whetstone. The gentle metallic rasp tried desperately to echo, but the thick tapestries and wall hangings muffled the cry. But the sound was not among Voldo's major concerns, not at that moment. The albino had been able to tell even before completely regaining consciousness that the body was tied up. No, not tied up. The body was chained to a wall. Thick chains. Cold chains. Hard steel. This was not a good place for the body. Or Voldo.

"So you're finally awake. How fortunate. I was beginning to get rather bored,"

The poison in Vercci's opulent voice seeped into Voldo's ears and burned. He hissed around the gag in his mouth. Where had the human taken him? What was he doing?

"Are you aware of why you're in that position, Voldo?"

The albino eyed the merchant. Why was the human simply talking and not doing anything to him? He was tied down. Open to attack from any side. Voldo tried to shift his position and only managed to cause the chains to cut more deeply into his flesh. A growl of mounting rage curdled in his throat.

"No? I did not believe so." Vercci rose from where had been lounging upon a low sofa, lazily sharpening a curved knife with his long fingers. He placed the knife and whetstone down upon a mahogany table beside the sofa and padded over to the main in the chains. When he was about a foot away, he stopped. One hand rested upon his hip. "You're here because we had an agreement, Voldo, that you decided to break. You broke it by attempting to attack my person and do me bodily harm. Such behavior cannot be permitted."

A confused light flickered amongst the fury in Voldo's red eyes. He couldn't understand the human's slithering speech, especially now in the position he was in. It made him even angrier and he snarled into Vercci's face.

"…In other words," Vercci reached behind him for the knife on the table. "You tried to hurt me, Voldo. You tried to kill me, didn't you?"

The snarl in Voldo's throat died instantly. He knew too well about men with knives.

"And I cannot allow you to kill me. I am too fond of you to allow you to kill me, dear Voldo. And so you're here because I like you too much and I don't want you to ever be without me,"

"_Pet_." Voldo spat at Vercci venomously.

"Oh is _that_ what you were annoyed about?" Vercci pulled the knife from behind his back and stroked the corpse-pale skin of Voldo's cheek with the blade. The soft scratching noise of steel against rough skin sent pleasure shivers up the merchant's back, but he remained still. "But you are my pet, Voldo."

"_Not_ pet!" Hissed the beast.

"Mm… Of course not."

Animal though he was, Voldo could sense Vercci's condescendence through the layers of rage that clouded his conscious. He lunged forward against the chains, snapping his fearsome jaws at the merchant. Vercci stepped back quickly and whipped the hand with the knife around, slicing with the silver blade in his hand. Red flashed upon the corpse-pale cheek and dripped to the stone floor, molten ruby upon purest alabaster.

A strange mutual stillness possessed them both at that moment. Neither the beast nor the man did not moved or made even the slightest sound for several seconds. And then Vercci seized Voldo's chin in one hand and leaned up to claim Voldo's thin, cracked lips in a bruising, possessive kiss. This contact lasted only a scant second before Voldo tore his mouth away from Vercci's with a guttural cry of anger and revulsion. What did the human think it was doing? What kind of bite did it mean to give him on the mouth! Voldo roared at the smiling human, perplexed and furious at the insult it had delivered.

Vercci waited calmly until Voldo ceased thrashing. Funny, he seemed to be more bothered by just that simple little kiss than with the open wound on his face. What an amusing creature.

"Oh Voldo, that couldn't have been _that_ terrible. Come now." Vercci stepped towards Voldo again and smeared his long fingers in the blood dripping from Voldo's cheek. Voldo tried to snap at him with his sharp teeth, but Vercci's open palm struck the side of his face smartly.

"_No_, Voldo. I already told you. I cannot allow you to harm me. I will not."

"Lie!" Voldo spat blood. "Cage!"

"…Cage?" Vercci finally frowned. "No, Voldo… This is not a cage. This is paradise."

The merchant stepped back, looking over Voldo's suspended, naked body. Perfection. Lithe, creeping, cannibalistic perfection. The thought of it made Vercci's emotions quiver with anticipation. Perhaps he was not going about this in the most prudent manner… Perhaps there was another way.

"Do you feel the pain, Voldo?" Vercci ran an elegant finger along the wound in Voldo's cheek. Voldo growled as the human's essence tainted the wound and made it sting, but he only tossed his head this time instead of biting. He learned last time.

"Such a clever monster…" The bloody hand trailed slowly down Voldo's heaving, emaciated body, slipping over the rises and valleys of the ribs, down the taut belly full of steaming human flesh and finally down to the hipbones, made prominent by a lifetime of near starvation. Vercci smirked a bit as he began to stroke Voldo, wondering what the cannibal's reaction would be.

To Vercci's delight, Voldo did not seem to comprehend why the human's touched produced the feelings in him… the feelings that he hadn't ever had before. The noises that came from his throat undulated along with his reaction to the slow, rhythmic, methodical touches. First a low, wary growl that ascended into a whimper of perplexity and confusion before he finally gave in and relaxed against his bonds almost against his will, uttering a continuous low moan punctuated with an occasional short whimper.

The mood was broken by three soft raps on the door. Vercci moved away from Voldo and went to the door, his supreme annoyance evident in his terse movements.

"What is it? Ah, Isabella… You have brought the meat?"

"Yes, Master Vercci."

"Thank you. Hand me the platter – there is no need for you to enter. Tell all the other servants that I am not to be bothered under any circumstances until I give word, do you understand?"

Isabella bowed. "Yes, Master Vercci."

"That's a good girl. Now leave."

She hurried off, having no desire to see what her master intended to do with the raw meat. Nobody interfered with Vercci's business. Nobody wanted to know what Vercci's business was.

The albino could smell the meat as Vercci carried it back into the dark room. His nostrils flared a bit as the scent brought him out of the daze that Vercci's touch had put him in so shortly before. The flesh of the other human was still in his stomach, but the body never stopped wanting more.

"This is part of your training, Voldo. All wild beasts can be tamed with food and I expect you to be no anomaly." Vercci set the platter down upon a nearby table and turned to Voldo. "Each time you behave, you get some meat. Do you understand?"

Voldo looked at him, then at the raw flesh. It was still bloody. He wanted it. The only way to get it was to act like the human wanted him to. A sacrifice. Voldo growled a bit, reaching towards the direction of the meat.

"No, you don't get it for nothing." Vercci skewered a piece of meat on the end of the knife already wet with Voldo's blood. He walked slowly towards Voldo, holding it up so that his new pet could clearly see what he was doing. Voldo's red eyes followed him closely, full of mingled wariness and desire. What was the human going to do?

Vercci stood right in front of Voldo, so close that the naked, white body brushed against his lightly. Voldo began to growl. The human was too close. The growl deepend when Vercci raised a hand and began to run it through Voldo's pale hair.

"Hush." Vercci held a piece of meat up to Voldo's lips. "Be quiet and you may eat it."

Voldo snatched the bloody slice with his teeth and began to eat it, gnawing and working it with his teeth and tongue since he could not hold it with his hands. Once it was devoured, he leaned forward and began to lick and suck the blood from Vercci's fingers carefully so that he would not miss a drop. Vercci moved down to grasp a strand of hair and whispered in Voldo's ear.

"You'll learn to love me for this."

To Be Continued…

Notes: Mmm… Vercci molesting Voldo. I love it. These two are developing so very nicely and it's so wonderful. But oh my god, I SUCK for making this take so long to get out… If I have any readers left at all, I owe you guys all the Soul Calibur fanfiction/pr0n you could ever ask for. :Grin: I had some issues with this chapter's length at first, but I'm pretty happy with it now. School's almost over for me (No more high school!) so hopefully I can get things out MUCH quicker in the summer. In fact, that's a promise. Thanks to everyone at the SoulSlash LJ community for beta-ing parts of this! Y'all rock!


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